Has Rossi's replacement already stepped forward?

Sooner or later, Valentino Rossi will retire. But even if the MotoGP legend doesn't hang up his helmet until the end of 2018, one rider on the grid might already have one arm on the '19 Yamaha's handlebars

You would be hard-pressed to find too many people involved in MotoGP looking forward to Valentino Rossi's retirement, whenever that may be. It's still at least 18 months away, and might not even come when Rossi's current Yamaha contract concludes at the end of 2018.

Rossi being Rossi, you wouldn't bet against him racing beyond his 40th birthday in February 2019. So it may seem a little early to cast an eye towards his exit, especially if he maintains the form that has him leading the 2017 championship after four races.